“Best of” Los Angeles Vacation
Enjoy Los Angeles like the locals on this 6 day/ 5 night tour that includes stops in West Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Pasadena for the best of LA, including lots of great cuisine.
Some LA Vacation Highlights:
Gelato Making Class
Rock n’ Roll Tour of West Hollywood
Wine Tasting
Venice Beach & Santa Monica
Pasadena Food Tour and the Back to the Future house
and more!
Let our preferred Virtuoso travel agent help you with this Darley Vacations booking or have her customize it to meet the needs of you and your group or family. There’s so much to love about California, so soak in the sun and fun of this epic Los Angeles vacation.
6 days / 5 nights starting at $2,865 USD* per person based on double occupancy
* Daily inclusions listed below. Itinerary pricing based on double occupancy. We are happy to customize this itinerary to fit your needs.
“Best of” Los Angeles Vacation Itinerary
I love Los Angeles. Outside of New York, it’s one of my favorite U.S. cities and one of my favorite places on the planet, but I didn’t start out loving Los Angeles. After getting to know the city, like the locals, we’ve created an itinerary that will make you fall in love with LA.
Day 1: Arrive to Los Angeles
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, you’ll be transferred (included) to your hotel to settle in before your evening tour. Our preferred travel advisor knows Los Angeles well, because she lives there and has two great hotels from which you can choose, one located downtown and the other in Beverly Hills. Both have history, comfort and great amenities. She’ll help you pick.
We will suggest some time to enjoy your arrival on your own to check out local landmarks according to your hotel location.
After checking in and dinner on your own (we’re happy to make suggestions!), embark on a private tour of Los Angeles by night with your dedicated guide. Experience the bustle of Los Angeles and surroundings without the hassle of the crazy daytime traffic! Depending on the month and date, enjoy a holiday lights tour, haunted LA places and summer fun LA style.
An LA hotel getaway with awesome vibes and views!
Day 2: West Hollywood
Take a West Hollywood Rock ‘n Roll Walking Tour of the Sunset Strip and beyond. Visit the sites where rock stars work and play, including insider’s destinations that your guide only knows, granting you exclusive access. Stops may include the the Viper Room, a rock and roll literary haven and Barney’s Beanery.
GOOD TO KNOW:
- The pace on the walking tour is leisurely with time to take photos.
- 10,000 steps / 4-5 miles
Looking to mix an active tour with glamour? Opt instead for The Beverly Hills Stars’ Homes jogging tour (5 miles). Enjoy a guided leisurely jog around lush landscapes, tree-lined streets, and lavish estates. You’ll get the inside scoop from your local guide, who’s lived and worked around Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip for over 25 years!
Outside of The Viper Room in West Hollywood
Restaurant suggestion! Have lunch or a drink at Barney’s Beanery, a West Hollywood institution, which opened in the 1920s, and became a hotspot for artists and musicians. This is THE place to pick up your lunch today. Make sure to check out the spot where Janis Joplin used to sit and feel the vibes from past stars who were regulars, like Judy Garland and Rita Hayworth.
Gelato Making Class
From Barney’s Beanery, walk to Gelato Festival (1.2 mile), where you can become a gelato specialist. Learn how gelato is made and enjoy tasting lots of flavors in this 2-hour unique class.
Spend some time on own before your wine tasting session. Explore the shops in West Hollywood or take a taxi or walk to Rodeo Drive (1.5 miles away).
Wine Tasting
Meet our winemaker and learn more about Los Angeles grapes and wine making. The history of Los Angeles wine making dates back 1833, when Jean-Louis Vignes ( Vignes means Vines in French!) built his winery around a 400 year old sycamore near today’s Union Station.
Still grown locally, fruits are harvested early to preserve natural acidity in them. Wines are naturally made and 100% vegan and is processed, aged, and bottled and truly hand-crafted. They strive to make wines that are elegant, balanced and that express Los Angeles’ unique character: a growing region where the desert meets the sea. Darley loves this tasting room! Taste some of the best bottles, and enjoy.
Private transfer from the wine tasting room to you hotel (Included) Dinner on your own tonight. Enjoy!
Day 3: Venice Beach & Santa Monica
Enjoy a two-hour guided walking tour of the Venice Canals (included), envisioned by their eccentric founder, Abbot Kinney, an entrepreneurial dreamer who won the land in a coin toss. Stop at the 1910 grocery shop, and grab some ancestral food and drinks.
Spend the afternoon continuing to explore Venice Beach or head into Santa Monica, either by taxi or by grabbing a bike and biking down by the beach!
Afternoon Recommendations: Explore the open-air mall at Third Street Promenade, an area made all the more lively by street performers. The stylish boutiques on Montana Avenue are perfect for finding the perfect so-L.A. item to take home, and keep your eyes peeled… This is a great place to spot local celebs. On Main Street, peruse handmade accessories and gifts by local artists.
A cultural hub for Southern California, Santa Monica boasts numerous art galleries all around the city, with the biggest concentration at Bergamot Station, a former railroad station and industrial site where you’ll find leading 20 galleries.
Fabled Route 66 once traveled along a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard and reached the terminus of its 2,448-mile/3,940 km run from Chicago near the beach in Santa Monica. A sign commemorates the “end of the trail” on Santa Monica Pier, where you can marvel at amazing coastal views from atop the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel at Pacific Park amusement park.
Enjoy dinner in this area or take a taxi or uber over to West Hollywood to dine at Sunset Marquis or have a drink in its fabled bar.
Take a taxi or uber back to your hotel for the evening.
Day 4: Pasadena
Embark on a day in Pasadena! We can arrange a private transfer or transfer on own from Los Angeles to Pasadena.
Private Pasadena Guided Walking Tour (Included / 1.5 miles)
Pasadena has its roots as an agricultural citrus-growing community, and is now famous worldwide as the home of some of the best-known New Year’s Day celebrations, which happen at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Stadium, listed as a National Historic Landmark. This is a beautiful city! Beyond the festivals, flowers, and tree-lined streets, prepare to learn more about the Crown City at the base of the foothills, fascinating every day of the year. Your guide will share an insider’s take on this city, including TV and movies filmed here.
Bottom: Rose Bowl Stadium and Museum.
Restaurant Suggestion! Enjoy lunch at one of Pasadena’s many great restaurants. We loved Amara Cafe, started by a female entrepreneur from Venezuela. Try arepas and enjoy coffee or hot chocolate and churros. Delish!
Explore Pasadena on your own for the afternoon. We recommend walking Colorado Avenue and checking out the Huntington Library, Museum and Garden. Plan on several hours to visit this iconic landmark, which includes the Huntington Art Gallery and Scott Galleries of American Art, a botanical conservatory, and acres of spectacular gardens in between! Explore living collections of orchids and camellias, a botanical conservatory, fragrant rose garden, childrens’s garden and more, in 16 themed gardens spread over 120 acres.
See paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photographs, prints and drawings; European art in the Huntington Art Gallery, and American art in the Scott Galleries.
Tonight we’ve got you booked into a historic Pasadena hotel on iconic Route 66. Winner of a Historic Preservation Award in 2015, each room is finished with a stylish bathroom and a digital concierge for full control of your room. The hotel has a lovely pool, on-site bar and restaurant and is within walking distance of shops and restaurants.
Dinner Suggestions! We loved dining at Bone Kettle for savory meats and soups. Cafe Santorini is another great pick for healthy Mediterranean.
Day 5: Pasadena Food & History
Guided Food Tour of Pasadena (Included)
We love taking food tours to explore new places. Take a guided food tour of Pasadena! Your guide will share small, locally owned places you wouldn’t necessarily find on your own.
Colorful alleys and secret thru-ways spice up our walk as we seek out spectacular ethnic eateries and sweet-stuff havens. Enjoy all the fascinating stories behind the foods when you explore this historic district, once just a sunny haven of bountiful orange groves. Whenever possible, we’ll be met and hosted by our special merchants who proudly share their incredible offerings with us. Five stops are included in this tour.
The Gamble House Tour (Included)
Seen Back to the Future? It’s Doc Brown’s House in this hit 1980’s movie starring Michael J. Fox. It’s also the most complete and best-preserved work of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Take a guided tour of this remarkable home, built by architects Charles and Henry Greene, listed on as a National Historic Landmark.
- Group tour: Thu-Sun
- Private tours:Tue-Sun
Evening Wine Tasting Estate Visit (Included)
Private transfer to a local wine estate (50min- Round trip incl.) for a late afternoon/early evening tour of one of Southern California’s coolest vineyards.
With the owner of the estate, explore the subtle wonders of winemaking, and learn about the practices which focus on respecting natural resources and farming sustainably.
Day 6: Travel Home
Your last day includes a transfer to your next location, whether it’s the airport, train station or onwards for another adventure!
*Please note that this is a sample itinerary. Prices are subject to changes based on dates and activities, which Darley Vacations’ Preferred Travel Advisor can customize for you. Please check out why you should book trips through our Preferred Travel Advisor and other FAQs.
Trip Price & Inclusions
6 days / 5 nights starting at $2,865 USD* per person based on double occupancy
* Daily inclusions listed below. Itinerary pricing based on double occupancy. We are happy to customize this itinerary to fit your needs.
Vacation Package Inclusions:
Transfers from LA to Pasadena (you don’t need a car for this trip!)
5 nights accommodations (double occupancy)
Activities:
Guided tour of LA
Guided tour of West Hollywood
Guided tour Venice Beach
Guided tour Pasadena
Wine Tour with transfers from Pasadena
Meals:
Daily breakfast for 2
Dinner on night 3
Hot tea or wine by the lake
All taxes and fees are included
Package Exclusions:
Any meal and service not shown in the inclusions
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Travel Insurance
Transportation to and from Los Angeles